Building-block.



A.. n. CONVERSE.

BUILDING BLOCK.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. I7, 1916.

Patented May16, 1916.

ATHERTON D. CONVERSE, OF WINCHENDON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BUILDING-BLOCK.

Specificationof Letters Patent. Patented May 16,1916;

Application filed January 17, 1916. Serial mf'raosa To all whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, ATHnRToN D. CON- vnnsn, a citizen of the UnitedStates of America, and a resident of Winchendon, in the county ofVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Building-Blocks, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to toy building blocks and has for its object theprovision of means for locking the various blocks together.

The invention consists inproviding the 'various blocks with one or moregrooves in one or more of its faces and providing another face with aprojecting tongue having resilient side flanges adapted to grip the sidewalls of said grooves when inserted therein.

The invention further consists in certain novel features of constructionand arrangement of parts which will be fully understood by reference tothe description of the drawings and to the claims hereinafter given.

Of the drawings: Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a pluralityof blocks embodying the present invention locked together in the form ofa building. Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of a block showing itsgrooved face. Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of the same block showingthe tongues secured to its opposite face. Fig. 4 represents an end viewof said block, and Fig. 5 represents a sectional detail of said blockand showing the clamping mem ber in section.

Similar characters designate like parts throughout the several figuresof the drawings.

In the drawings, 10 is a toy building block having in one face thereof alongitudinal groove 11 and two transverse grooves 12. The side walls 13of said grooves 11 and 12 are equidistant apart and parallel. To theopposite face 14. of the block 10 are secured the clamping members 15 bymeans of the headed nails 16. Each clamping member consists of a topplate 17 having formed integral therewith the end portions or flanges 18the ends of which are held by the nails 16 against the face 14 of theblock 10. Preferably the end portions 18 are perpendicular to the topplate17. The top plate 17 is also provided with two resilient inclinedside portions or flanges 19 extending inwardly toward the side face 14,the said flanges preferably being formed integral together, preventingtheir accidental separation. The side flanges 19 are shorter than theend flanges 18 and are free from contact with theface of the block towhich the clamping-member 15 is secured. When the blocks are lockedtogether the friction between the flanges 19 and the side walls 13 willbe suflicient to prevent the accidental endwlse movement of one blockrelatively to the other.

While in Figs. 2, 3, 4., and 5 only one form of block is shown, it isobvious that the blocks may be of various shapes and have grooves 11 and12. variously positioned 1n one or more of the faces thereof.

The clamping member 15 is readily inserted in a groove 11 or 12 and whenonce inserted it readily retains the two blocks together until such timeas the separation thereof is desired, when such separation may beeffected without difiiculty. This clamping member 15 is formed from asingle piece of sheet metal and is readily struck up into the properform for use with little .difliculty, making it very inexpensive toC011.

struct. While the member 15 is little liable to get out of commission,it is obvious that in case this should occur it may be readily replacedby another, which could not be done in the case of blocks having thetongue formed integral therewith.

It is believed that the many advantages of this invention will be fullyunderstood from the foregoing description.

Having thus described my. invention, I claim: I

1. In a device of the class described, a clamping member consisting of aplate adapted to be secured to a toy building block and having endportions contacting with said block and inclined resilient side portionsfree from contact with said block, said side portions being adapted togrip upon the walls of a groove in another block when inserted therein.

2. In a device of the class described, a clamping member consisting of aplate adapted to be secured to a toy building block and having endportions contacting with said block and inclined resilient side portionsformed integral with said plate and free from contact with said block,said side portions being adapted to rip upon the walls of a groove inanother look when inserted therein. v

3. In a device of the class described, a clamping member consisting of aplate having at its opposite ends flanges perpendicular to said plateand adapted to be held in contact with a toy building block, said platebeing also provided with s1de flanges flaring outwardly from said lateand adapted to grip upon the wallsloi blockwhen inserted therein.

4. In a device of the class described, a clamping member consisting of atop plate adapted to be secured to a toy building block and havingformed integral therewith end flanges perpendicular thereto and shorterside flanges flaring outwardly from said top plate and adapted to gripupon the walls of a groove inanother lock when inserted therein.

a groove in another Signed by me at Winchendon, Mass, this 5th day ofJanuary, 1916.

ATHERTON D. CONVERSE.

